Making it to Dinner
by Sheankelor
Summary: Severus is at Hogwarts for his first year of school, but all he wants to be is home in China with Lui and the rest of his family. Can Lui and he work out a way to get him there for the Reunion Dinner so that he can greet the New Year with the rest of the Sung family? A Sung Universe story, written for the Chinese New Year.


_AN: This is as good as it is thanks to Yen. Thanks for describing dinner and letting me know what timings were off, Ladio. She also asked that I tell you that this is taking place in Severus' first year at Hogwarts, so the New Year is not at the same time as this year. It takes place on February 15__th__. _

_Enjoy the newest addition to the Sung Universe, and to all who are preparing or partaking in a wonderful dinner tonight, Happy New Year. Ree_

_Making it to Dinner_

Severus looked down at the sheets clutched in his hands and fought back the tears. He had to make a plan and not cry like a baby - Lui was counting on him. He had to find a way to leave Hogwarts without raising any suspicions on where he was going. If the Marauders were able to get away with bullying him, then he should be able to get away with missing for a couple of days. _'Maybe if I work it right, I can get them to land me in the Infirmary again.'_

Shaking his head, he shoved the sheets away from him. Madam Pomfrey had tucked him in too tight and it was starting to feel suffocating, not comforting the way that Mama Sung's tuckings felt. Spotting his wand on the small table near him, he grabbed it and slipped it under his pillow. He wouldn't put it past those stupid Gryffindors to come in and try to steal it. There was no way he was going to lose this wand. Never.

_'I was hoping that my first year here would be great. Lily and I were both attending... we would still be together and help each other. Then we ended up in different houses, her with those dunderheads and I with a bunch of blood purists. We do still meet but it is clouded with what might have been and our respective houses' expectations.'_

Curling deeper into the soft bed under him, he stared into dim light that surrounded him. Night was falling and he would have to spend it here as his leg finished repairing itself.

'_I wish... I wish that I could have gone to school in China with Lui or that he was here at Hogwarts with me. None of this house nonsense would have mattered then. He would be sitting next to me now while Mama and Dad Sung would be in the Headmaster's office, demanding that something be done.'_

The tears that had been threatening came back full force. He wanted to go_ home._ Especially now that he had a real one to go to.

Pomfrey slipped into the Infirmary quietly, hoping that the charms were wrong. It was bad enough that whatever that group of Gryffindors had cast was so mangled even she couldn't figure it out, but for the boy to be in enough pain to cause tears was beyond what she would wish on anyone. She leaned over Snape's bed, pain potion vial held ready to administer, and noticed that the child had fallen asleep. The warning charm stopped its signal. Tucking the covers back, she left as quietly as she had come.

Turning just slightly, Severus loosened the sheets, fingers clasping his wand as his mind drew him back to the summer and home.

(Ò.Ô)

Severus waited by the tree as normal. This time wasn't the same as all the others though. No, this time he and Lui had convinced Mr. and Mrs. Sung that he could visit for two weeks instead of one. He had his Hogwarts letter tucked securely in his bag as well as a couple of changes of clothes. He knew that he wouldn't wear them, but he refused to take for granted that this family would have something for him to wear.

When Mr. Sung appeared, he walked politely over and nodded a greeting. "Mr. Sung."

"Ah, Severus! Come along. We are going now." Mingyu Sung made it a point never to tell his long distance child their destination; he loved seeing the surprised look on the boy's face too much for that.

Mingyu watched as Severus took hold of the worn out writing brush as he took boy's other hand. They disappeared in the next instance. When they appeared in a vast scrub land, he smiled as Severus' eyes widened. "Welcome to Australia."

The trip had been fun. Severus and Lui had run about, getting into all the trouble that a pair of eleven year olds could. After a week in the Australian Outback, they had portkeyed to the Sung's house in China.

Lanfen Sung watched as the two boys thundered up the stairs to their room. Shaking her head slightly, she looked over at Mingyu. "Those two – I swear we can buy their souvenirs before we even go, without asking them. Lui will want a statue of some prominent thing we saw, and Severus will want a book on the local plants and animals."

Mingyu smiled as the black heads reappeared, their steps not one bit slower than they had been the entire week. "Go run off that energy outside. Be home in time for dinner."

"We will, Dad!"

Lanfen and Mingyu stared as the two went out the door, stunned by the fact that both boys had answered with the same phrase. Turning slowly, their gazes met and smiles started to curl their lips.

Later that evening, after dinner and the boys were in bed, a family meeting was held.

o.o.o.o.o

Severus snuggled deeper into the bed, breathing in the fragrance of flowers that wafted through the window as the sun crested the horizon. The golden light illuminated the titles of the books that were neatly lined up on his shelf. They were from all over the world, each one reminding him of trips that were more real, more important to him than the rest of his year. Egypt was the first trip, then there was the beach trip in France, the quick stint to the Philippines since they had to stop by a relative's house that summer, Germany, even Hawaii was in there. The other summers were spent here at the Sung's family home, but he had books about other places in the world on the shelf as well. Those summers, where they just ran about the house and town, experiencing new cultures and foods were some of the best times he had ever experienced. _'__Except this year, we got to do both.' _

The sounds of Lui stretching in the bed across the room told Severus it was time to get moving. They had plans this morning. Meilin, Ping and the others were going to meet them in the park and they were heading off to see who could make it through the caves now that they were old enough to go in.

Hopping out of bed, Severus slipped into the clothes that he only wore here. "Come on, Lui, you're moving too slow!"

"I'm coming." Lui raced to dress and after a quick stop by the restroom, they both rushed down to the dining room but made sure to walk slowly through the doorway.

"Morning, Mom, Dad." They settled into their normal seats after the greeting, not noticing that Mingyu and Lanfen were not alone in the room.

"Severus, Lui, we have something we wish to talk to you about." Mingyu watched as the boys stopped loading their plates and looked up at him.

They finally noticed the guests sitting around the table. One member from each of the different branches of the Sung family, all those that lived within easy traveling distance, were there. Both boys quickly stood, their eyes widening, neither daring to look at the other as they wondered just what they had done wrong.

When Mingyu and Lanfen singled for Lui to come stand by them, Severus was left standing on his own, dread curling inside his empty stomach.

Mingyu rested a restraining hand on Lui's shoulder as the elder of the family moved to stand near Severus, blocking Lui's view of his friend. He was positive his son wouldn't settle for just craning his head to see better.

"Snape Severus, I am Sung Bohai, Head of the Sung family." The aged wizard watched as the boy bowed, his shoulders stiff and his face blank. "Mingyu and Lanfen have approached me with a request, one that cannot be completely granted, but if you are willing, we can partially grant it."

Bohai searched the blank face and wondered what it was about this pale faced boy that had caught the attention of all the family members that had met him. The boy's eyes were a cold black, his stance stiff and withdrawn. It was the brief memory of this boy coming in with Lui earlier and their similar greeting that convinced him to continue. "Mingyu has requested that you be named part of the Sung family, that he be allowed to take you in as his son, and that you be given all the responsibilities and rights as his own biological son."

The boy's dark eyes widened and darted to Mingyu and then back to him. Maybe the child just needed to know what was going on. Folding his hands, Bohai shook his head slightly. "As you are not an orphan, I am unable to grant Mingyu's request. Instead, I am able to name you his foster child. While you are in China, you shall be known as a Sung, and anywhere else in the world, you may use the name. If you agree, of course."

Severus stood there, doing his absolute best to hide every reaction as his mind raced on. Mama and Dad Sung wanted him. That was the key point that stood out. They wanted him, not just for a week or two in the summer, not as someone who was sometimes their child but someone who would be in their lives forever. They had to. If they didn't, they had no reason to try to take in him as a forever child. Tightening his hands into loose fists by his sides, he looked at the family head. "If I agree to be a foster of the Sungs, can I be named a member once I have reached my majority?"

Bohai studied the child. The solemn voice had had trembled just a bit at the end, not that much, but it was enough for him to figure out just how important his answer was. "Once you are old enough to make that decision, you will be allowed."

Severus hazarded a look over at Lui, who had shifted enough to finally be in his line of sight, eyes wide with surprise and hope written all over his face. There was only one answer to the question that he could give, he was just amazed that they were asking an eleven year old. "I accept."

Bohai nodded slowly. "Then let us have breakfast."

o.o.o.o.o

Severus raced across the garden with Ping close on his heels. The ball was clutched tightly in his fist and he scanned the rest of the paths to see if he could spot Lui. If he could just get the ball to his brother, then they would win.

There, behind the hibiscus bush, was a movement. Hoping that is was Lui, Severus darted onto its path. His eyes widened and he dodged through the beds when he saw Hualing instead. He tripped over his feet and tumbled onto another path, crashing into the person that he had been hunting for.

Lui wrapped his fingers around the ball just as Mom called them in and thrust his arm in the air. "We won!"

"Coming!" Severus pulled himself up to his feet and then helped Lui up.

As they came into the house, Lanfen looked at the mess that covered them. "You need to get changed. We have school shopping to do." She sighed and shook her head when they ran upstairs, those two never seemed to move at anything slower than a jog.

In less than a quarter an hour, both of them presented themselves downstairs, ready to go.

"Severus, your list?" Mingyu tucked Lui's into his robe as he spoke.

"I will get my supplies back in England, Dad." That it didn't feel strange to call this man that still surprised Severus.

"Severus," Mingyu stopped at the look on the boy's face. "Very well, let's go."

The trip was fun. Severus wished that he could get his school supplies here, but even as he thought about giving in, he noticed that his list was vastly different than Lui's. What he needed couldn't be found here, not even the potion ingredients.

It was as they approached Master Lin's wand shop that Lanfen stopped Severus, her hands resting gently on the thin shoulders. "We are getting your wand. I am not letting you have some passed down and incompatible wand."

Severus stared into the serious dark eyes before looking over at Mingyu. The same look was mirrored there as well. "If they have one that is compatible with me."

The two adults nodded and directed them towards the door of the shop.

"Ah, the Sungs. I was hoping that I would get to see both of the boys." Master Lin greeted them before turning to the stacks of boxes. "I think I have a wand that is just perfect for each of you."

He set a stack of wand boxes in front of each child. "Give them a try."

Lui ran a fingertip down the first wand, admiring the work that went into its craftsmanship before picking it and giving a swish.

Severus' eyes widened as he felt his hair start to float. Reaching a hand up, he tried to flatten it. "That isn't it."

"Well, you try one." Lui dropped the wand back into its box.

Severus studied the different ones that Master Lin had given him. Finally, he chose one made out of plum and gave it a swish. When Lui's hair turned green, he bit back a smile.

Lui looked into the small mirror on the wall and groaned. "Not that one for you."

It took a few more tries, but Severus found a wand made from a dark wood that he didn't recognize and Lui found one that was intricately carved from tip to handle.

(Ò.Ô)

Severus narrowed his eyes as he watched the owls swoop into the Great Hall, dropping their post off at the different tables. There, up high was one that he was hoping was for him. Eventually, it spiraled down and left a scroll next to his plate. He grabbed it and tucked it into his robes before Avery could comment on it. No matter how much he wanted to read Lui's response, he knew he would have to wait.

The day dragged on especially when he couldn't touch the missive he had been waiting on all week figuratively burning a hole in his robe. Finally, he made it to the safety of his bed, and with the canopy curtains spelled closed – he was glad that Mama Sung had taught him that spell before he had left - he pulled out the scroll. As he unrolled Lui's letter, a red stick fell into his lap. Grinning, he scanned the letter. Lui succeeded on his side, the stick was the international portkey. Now, all he had to do was succeed on his part.

The days of January passed, each one bringing Severus closer to his departure day, but he had yet to figure out his excuse to be missing. His mind refused to focus on classwork, he was eating less and sleeping fitfully. He knew that he was completely stressing out over it, but he needed to escape, Lui was counting on him. When Professor Flitwick asked him if he needed to go to the Infirmary, he knew what he needed to do. He had to convince the medi-witch and the professors that he was truly sick, and then he had to escape their watchful eye.

Severus had spent the entire weekend doing his best to convince them that all he needed was sleep and to be left alone. He had sealed up the curtains on his bed and remained there for the whole of Sunday, with short stints to the toilet, not even bothering to eat.

Now, it was Monday. Time to go home.

Moving quickly and quietly, he packed his school bag with as many of his books and clothes he could work into it. Slipping out of the castle was the most difficult part, there was always a portrait or ghost, or Merlin forbid, a professor that might catch sight of him. The few portraits he met that commented that he should be in class were told that he was sick and looking for an elf to bring him something light to eat. He memorized the directions to the kitchen when one of the more helpful portraits told them to him.

Severus eventually worked his way out of the castle and through the grounds while the morning classes were still going on. Standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he remembered the Headmaster's warning not to go in there. Peering into the gloom, Severus could feel the oppressiveness of it try to settle around him, but he shook off the feeling and walked in. He was sure he had to get off Hogwarts grounds for the portkey to work.

The twilight formed by the canopy above him enveloped him as he pushed on. Remembering being lost in the rainforests of Hawaii, he pulled upon all the knowledge he had gain from that experience. Even as he worked on observing everything he possibly could, Severus realized that he had to also rely on his sense of direction that had gotten him through most of his and Lui's adventures.

It seemed like hours, but Severus knew it was only half of one, before he arrived on the other side of the Hogwarts wards. Holding the red stick tightly, he trusted that the portkey would work soon.

(Ò.Ô)

Lui stood just outside the open door as the last guest entered the house, his eyes searching the gathering darkness. He had taken the portkey from the international pile, he was sure. Severus should be here any moment.

Mingyu looked out into gloom, before looking back at Lui. "He is coming, isn't he?"

Lui paled before straightening. There was no doubt who the _he_ was referring too. Severus and he had planned to face this together, each backing the other, or at least taking their punishment together. "Yes, sir. Severus is coming."

Mingyu let a heavy look rest on his son. "That explains where the portkey went, and also why you've been keeping his place free in your room. Do you have appropriate garments ready for him to change into?"

Lui swallowed hard. Dad was taking this too easy. "Yes, I do. They are pressed and waiting on his bed. His school uniform would cause too many questions, we thought."

Both turned when they heard footsteps approaching and saw Severus emerge from the gloom, looking tired. "Welcome, Severus."

Worried dark eyes met Mingyu's before Severus returned the greeting and went to stand next to Lui, his eyes never leaving Dad Sung. If they could get through this part, then they would be fine. The punishment would be worth the trip. He hoped.

Mingyu looked between his two sons. He wasn't as mad as he should be and he knew the reason. Tonight would have felt wrong if Severus hadn't been here. Tonight was a night for the entire family to join together and greet the New Year, and Severus was part of his family.

Keeping his happiness behind a mask of sternness, he pinned the two boys with his gaze. "Now that you are here, you will join us for dinner. Tomorrow, we shall discuss your punishment, both of yours. Severus, do you have your school books with you?"

Severus nodded, holding up his bag.

"Good, you shall be working on them until it is time for you to leave. Go get changed and meet us downstairs. I will go tell your Mother what you have done." He watched them scamper off as fast as possible before going to find Lanfen.

Throwing his school bag onto his bed, Severus changed quickly while Lui paced near the door.

"I wish he had told us what our punishment was." Lui took another turn, and stared at Severus as he buttoned up his shirt.

"That is part of our punishment, I think. Making us wait to find out what it is." Smoothing the shirt down quickly, Severus looked over at the mirror. "Will my uniform trousers work, or should I change them as well?"

Lui ran a critical eye over the outfit. "Change them. No need to upset Dad anymore than he is. He asked about you having clothes to change into."

Shucking his trousers, Severus pulled on the softer pair that Lui had ready for him. Once he was dressed, he ran a quick brush through his hair, frowning at the greasiness of it. He wished he could have had a chance to use Mama Sung's hair rinse before he met everyone else. At least he would have time to use it while he was there. "Come on, they're waiting."

Both headed down the stairs slower than they had ever done before.

Lui whispered softly, "Stick close to Mom or Dad if you can. There are a lot of people who you don't know and who will be very interested in you. Don't answer anything that you are not sure about. Nothing about the fostering. Leave that to Mom and Dad."

Entering the room where everyone was waiting, they went to find their parents.

Lanfen watched as her boys crossed the room, both looking a sight for sore eyes. Mingyu had told her just a moment ago that Severus had made it. She knew that there were repercussions for their actions, but at that moment she was just pleased to see them together.

Bohai noticed them as well. "Mingyu, I didn't realize that young Severus was joining us."

Mingyu answered in as casual voice as he could muster, "We did not announce his arrival since we were not positive until tonight he would be able to make it."

"It is good that he is here." Bohai turned to greet the boys with a smile.

The reunion dinner was far different than Severus had expected. It wasn't as formal or stilted, but noisy with chatter and laughter. Everyone was dressed in their best with red, orange, yellow and pink being the main colours. The ladies including Mama Sung were especially resplendent in beautiful new clothes and jewelry, their hair done up nicely. The biggest difference was the sheer number of Sung relatives, but after eating in the Great Hall for several months, the crowd still seemed manageable to Severus. Best of all were the dishes, too numerous and myriad to count. Freed of the anxiety of the past week, Severus ate the biggest meal of his life, his appetite sharpened by the fact that he was home and with his family at last. There were so many dishes to sample; huge plates of various types of meats that were marinated and then roasted, steamed and fried - chicken, duck and pork – with individual dips and sauces followed by whole steamed fish, drenched in sweet soy sauce and garnished with finely slivered green onion, platters of prawns deep fried in butter, vegetables of all kinds and huge tureens of soup. Wielding his chopsticks, it took Severus no time to remember his Mandarin and he spent the evening enjoying himself, eating and talking to the people who mattered to him and then going out into the garden with Lui to admire the magical fireworks exploding in the night sky, ushering in the new year and bringing good fortune.

The next morning dawned early, too early for Severus. He rolled over and stared. There, hanging near his bed, were a beautiful red shirt with a Mandarin collar and dark pair of trousers. They were obviously brand new. Sitting up, he spotted a pair of new shoes and had a feeling that new socks and pants were there as well.

Tearing his attention away from the new clothes, he noticed that Lui had a set as well, but the shirt was gold in colour. For just a moment, Severus wished that his was gold too and not a color that he associated with the four bullies at school. Pushing that twinge of ingratitude away, he studied his shirt a bit longer, and decided that the color was nowhere close to Gryffindor red, and so was perfectly acceptable.

Lui slowly opened his eyes and smiled when he spotted Severus. "Morning." He stretched and plopped back onto his bed. "Welcome to the New Year, Severus."

"Welcome to you as well, Lui." Severus smiled over at his brother. Lui's greeting had made this morning feel more like a new year than the first of January had felt to him. "I guess we need to get up and find out what is in store for us." Severus swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Lui followed suit and before long they were at the table. After greeting Mom and Dad, and receiving a red packet token, which Severus had stared at in amazement, they found out their punishment. They were to help Master Cheng with whatever he required on the day of his choosing as long as Severus was in China.

They had trudged off to the house on the outskirts of the village, moving the slowest that Mingyu and Lanfen had ever seen them.

Severus cast a worried look at the fields that surrounded them, before resting it on Lui. "What is Master Cheng like?"

Lui shuddered lightly before answering. "He is … he is fair enough, but is really strict. Dad talked about getting him to tutor me during the break since I am not doing so well in potions. I hope this doesn't make a poor impression on him."

Severus compressed his lips and fought a frown. "You can write me your questions about Potions. I am doing good in that class."

Lui rolled his eyes and tried to keep his exasperated tone out of his voice. He had thought about that all term. "We are studying from different books and I'm sure our ingredients are different as well."

Severus stepped in front of his brother, stopping his forward progress. He folded his arms and glared at him. "The principles have to be the same. I mean, the ideas and the preparation steps can't be that different. Just send me the potion information to the ones you are having problems with. I'll do what I can to figure it out and send you back an idea or two."

"You would do that? Maybe we can convince Mom and Dad to get you a copy of the potions book, and then you can read it instead of relying on me to copy it down correctly." Lui nudged Severus to keep moving as he continued. "If not, we can find a spell that will let me copy it. But, no matter what, I have to improve my marks. I will send you my questions early enough that your replies would be useful in class."

Severus nodded as he fell back in step with the shorter boy. "That would be a good idea. So, Master Cheng is a Potions Master? I wonder if I can get some extra tutoring while I am here?"

Lui shook his head. "I doubt you will have time, Severus."

At Severus' sullen look, Lui laughed. His laughter ended when he spotted the garden gate of the house they were looking for.

Stopping short, he was glad that Severus stopped with him. "Be the most formal you can be, Severus. We've got to make a good impression."

Smoothing out his shirt, and making sure his trousers were not dust covered, Severus faced the gate. "Okay, let's get this over with."

After checking his appearance as well, Lui led the way.

(Ò.Ô)

Dawn the next morning came early, but Lui and Severus were already standing outside Master Cheng's gate, waiting to be admitted.

Yesterday's meeting had gone well enough. The Potions Master had frowned at them and then proceeded to ask about what they were doing in their Potions classes. It was then that it came out that Severus was visiting from Scotland, and was learning a different potions curriculum than was being taught here in China. The old bright eyes had settled on the taller of the two boys for a long moment before Master Cheng decided on their punishments.

That was why they were here at dawn. It was the only instruction they had received. They would learn the rest once they were admitted.

Master Cheng let them in and then stood looking at them as the weak dawn light picked out the differences between the two boys. "Sung Lui, you are to organize the ingredients that you find in the first room as you enter the house. The order is written on a piece of parchment next to the pile. Sung Severus, you shall be working in the garden. I have heard that you are interested in plants, and have taken to studying the ones around here. I expect you to know what you are doing."

Both boys bowed slightly before going to their respective places. Cheng watched them leave and decided to give them a moment to work on their own before he went to check on them.

Lui almost groaned aloud at the huge and jumbled pile of plant clippings and animal parts. Looking at the directions, he realized that Dad had already talked to Master Cheng, and that this was the first part of his tutoring. He had to recognize the different ingredients and store them properly.

It was almost an hour later before Cheng walked into the room where Lui was working. The mess was almost enough to make him want to hex the boy. Mingyu wanted him to tutor the child, and by the look of the ingredients, he could tell this was going to be a long break. He hoped the child would listen and not just be stubborn.

Lui looked at the mess. He had sorted the ingredients by appearance, and even though he knew his system, it still looked like a disaster. Looking back at the directions, he decided to work with the ones he knew already.

It was as he was collecting the jars that he realized that he wasn't alone.

"Master Cheng!" He stopped short, his eyes widening at the deep frown on the Master's face.

"Sung, I believe you had better start explaining this." Even as he waved at the ingredients, Cheng noticed that they were sorted, not perfectly, but it was an attempt.

As the boy explained what he had done, Cheng decided that this tutoring might just work.

Severus looked at the basic garden that he had been told to work on. He knew it was basic since the ones he had passed had held far more interesting plants. _'Basic doesn't mean that it isn't still needed. Flobberworms and porcupine quills are basics, but without them, a potion would be useless.' _

Dredging up all the information he had soaked in from his plant books on this area, Severus walked about the bed attempting to determine what was there intentionally and what was not. There were several plants that he didn't recognize but were growing in obvious patterns. Deciding that those were the ones to keep, he started pulling out the ones he knew were weeds from helping with Mama Sung's garden.

Cheng walked out to his oldest garden. Most of the things growing there he didn't use much of, which is why he sent Severus to it to work. If he damaged the plants there it wouldn't be that big a deal. As he neared the garden, he blinked before smiling. The boy obviously didn't know what was what in the bed. He could tell by the way the plants were reorganized. It was time to learn exactly what this child knew and then to teach him some basics if the aptitude he sensed was truly there.

Severus had cleared all that he knew were weeds, and then had set to transplanting seedlings so that they were near the others that were like them. It had been fun, messy fun.

As he worked his fingers through the soil, Severus was surprised to see Master Cheng sit down on one of the benches. He was prepared for anything but the oral test that he received.

(Ò.Ô)

Severus held the portkey and frowned at Dad Sung. "I can make it fine. I portkeyed here on my own."

"This one will take you to Hogsmeade, just on the outskirts." Mingyu searched Severus' face for a long moment. "You will write the moment you make it. You have everything, correct?"

Severus nodded. His bag would have been far too full but Mama Sung had put an expansion charm on it. It now held his homework from the Friday and Saturday before he went into hiding, the new clothes the Sungs had given him, Master Cheng's list of questions that he needed to research as well as the sweets and Mandarin oranges Lui had snuck in for him.

"They think you've been sick, how can you show up looking so well?" Lanfen bit her lip, wondering if they should cast something that would make Severus look sick.

"I told them that I was going to disappear until I felt much better. It has been a while so I should be fine showing up looking healthy." Madam Pomfrey hadn't been happy when she couldn't pinpoint the reason for him being feverish and throwing up sick, and the Professors had given him a lot of work to do while he was recuperating – all of which was completed since Mama Sung had made him sit at a desk and work on it for four hours a day.

Severus gripped the tiny stick in his hand as the Thursday evening sun was setting over the horizon and nodded towards Mingyu. "It is time for me to get back, Dad."

Mingyu stepped back, fighting the need to wrest the portkey away from him. "We will see you this summer, Severus."

"Don't forget to write!" Lui smiled broadly. "I'll try writing in English this time."

Severus smiled. "I'll send back the corrections, just like you do for me."

"Be careful, Severus." Lanfen slipped her arm through Mingyu's as she waited so she wouldn't grab her second son to keep him with her.

"The activation word is 'School'. Go ahead and say it." Mingyu watched as Severus said the word and vanished.

Severus appeared behind the Shrieking Shack. Dropping the stick, he headed off towards the Forbidden Forest and Hogwarts.

(Ò.Ô)

Severus successfully navigated the corner of the Forbidden Forest and made it through the halls with the portraits all asking him if he felt better and where had he been all this time. He crept into his deserted dorm room to drop off his bag. After writing a quick note to Dad Sung saying he was back safe and sound, he sped off to the owlery and then to the Great Hall to join the others for lunch. It took a few minutes for him to adjust to using a fork and knife to eat his shepherd's pie and to drink the pumpkin juice instead of Chinese tea.

After eating, at Slughorn's insistence, Severus had reported to the Infirmary where Madam Pomfrey had poked and prodded him, running as many scans as Severus had ever seen her do.

It was while she was checking him out that Severus learned that a letter had been sent to Spinner's End. He hadn't considered the possibility of them writing to Mother and Father, and dread had coiled around his heart as he waited to hear what the consequences of his actions would be. One thing he was sure of, it wouldn't be as fun as working in Master Cheng's gardens. He hoped that they wouldn't confiscate the potions book that Master Cheng had given him, Lui was thrilled that he had it to look at since it was a copy of the one he was using at school.

Madam Pomfrey searched the boy that was watching her with uncertain eyes. There was something here that was missing, some clue that she just wasn't seeing. "You have a history of disappearing like this to get well? That is what your Mother's letter implied. She said to just let you be, if you wanted to be ignored, then that was what we should do."

Severus did his level best not to let the hurt show. Once again, he had been dismissed. Even as he buried the hurt where the rest of the pile from his parents was stored, he realized that he had also been given the perfect excuse to disappear next year. Nodding slowly, Severus clenched his fingers in his lap. "I do disappear, typically for at least a week. I was hoping that it wouldn't strike this year, but I guess it wasn't to be. No one can figure out what it is, or how to treat it. If I am able to rest and ignore the world, I seem to recuperate okay. It typically happens over the summer, this time took me by surprise. I'll warn you next time I feel it coming on."

Madam Pomfrey frowned at him for a long moment before agreeing. She would be researching this. Stepping back, she waved him off the bed. "You are clear to go, and are capable of going to class tomorrow. I'll let your professors know."

Friday morning dawned, and not one person in his dorm commented about him coming with them to breakfast. Sighing lightly, Severus ate slowly, wishing for a warm bowl of rice congee and a pair of chopsticks.

The first class of the day was Potions and he walked straight into a Potions exam. He thanked Master Cheng in his head as he worked his way through the material. The old wizard had made him explain what he was currently learning in far more detail than Slughorn's exam would require, and then he had added more information to round off Severus' understanding.

The next day was Saturday. Severus woke up late to an empty dorm room. He was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep, but knowing that he needed to finish getting adjusted back to this time zone, he forced himself to keep his eyes open. He got up and took out his New Year Day outfit. Drawing in a deep breath, he nodded to himself. He was going to wear it today.

After he dressed, he found that the chill that clung to the stone walls of the dungeons cut through the material easily. Digging through his trunk, he found the old coat that Mother had sent with him. The coat tails were long in both the front and back, and the collar was high enough to hide the red collar of his shirt.

Buttoning up the frock coat, Severus spun on his heel and headed for the common room. He had Master Cheng's questions to research and then a longer letter to write home. He knew that Mama Sung would want to know more details about how the school took his disappearance than he had told them in his brief note earlier. He was not going to mention the letter that had been sent to Spinner's End, nor his Mother's reply, but he would explain that next year's visit was already covered.

Finding a quiet corner, he pulled out a Mandarin orange and peeled it, the familiar fragrance bringing a small touch of home. He smiled, popped a section into his mouth and started writing.


End file.
